


Again

by writingblankspaces



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Demons, Alternate Universe - Reincarnation, Ambiguous/Open Ending, Demon Summoning, Demonic Possession, Growing Up Together, Hell is loosely based off Dante's Inferno, M/M, MAMA Era Powers (EXO), Power Dynamics, Slow Build, X-EXO are demons
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-23
Updated: 2020-10-23
Packaged: 2021-03-08 22:07:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,485
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27163633
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/writingblankspaces/pseuds/writingblankspaces
Summary: Finding happiness in Hell sounds like an oxymoron, but that's exactly what Sehůn did. Everything goes fine, until it's decided by the higher ups that Sehůn will be reincarnated to get another chance at redemption. Only, when he gets back to the human realm, he's confronted with an eerie doppleganger.
Relationships: Kim Junmyeon | Suho/Oh Sehun
Comments: 5
Kudos: 34
Collections: EXO MONSTERFEST 2020





	Again

**Author's Note:**

> Based on Prompt O226:
> 
>  **Suhø and Sehůn are both demons living in Hell, but Sehůn did a greater sin that sent him back to earth to meet Junmyeon, the human version of Suhø.**
> 
> It's important to note that Sehun is referred to as both Sehun and Sehůn. He is called Sehun following his reincarnation, but when addressed both other demons, he is called Sehůn because this is what they know him as. 
> 
> As for the other minor characters, when they are referred to by their X-EXO names, they are demons and if it's their regular name, then they are humans.

Their height difference mattered very little as Suhø gripped the back of Sehůn's neck with enough force to make his head cock backwards.

“You’re _mine_ and don’t you fucking forget it.” Sehůn sneered at the red-headed man but said nothing in response.

And what else could he say? He was his and he wouldn’t haven’t any other way.

“Hm, finally learning to control that sharp tongue of yours?” Sehůn's neck was starting to ache but the blood that was rushing below his waist balanced it out.

Suhø was still on edge from whatever task he was sent to complete.

Sometimes it was something easy like overseeing the punishment of the tortured. Other days, it was something more difficult like responding to a summoning. Whenever he did the latter, if the human who summoned him was more idiotic than usual, he came back and took out his frustrations on Sehůn.

He looked forward to these times and cherished every bite, push, yank and cruel word thrown at him. It made his blood run hot and arousal course through his body like adrenaline.

“Did the, ah” Suhø yanked on his hair harder, making Sehůn pause, “human make you do something asinine? Make them rich? Powerful? Make their object of affection fall in love with them? All at the price of their soul? Why do you care so much?” When Sehůn finished, he licked at his lips.

He was really going to get it because the other hated having his reactions and feelings questioned.

Despite that they were both demons, Suhø still put mankind on a pedestal and each time he was summoned by one, they never lived up to his expectations. The disappointment he felt is what built up inside of him and came out as anger and aggression whenever he returned back to their realm.

Blue eyes narrowed at him and the grip on his hair tightened so much, a hiss slipped from Sehůn's lips.

“The prophecy has already said they will be their own downfall, yet they still continue to flounder around as if nothing matters.”

“But why does it matter to you? When they fall, then that simply means more souls to be punished and devoured. A positive for you and I.”

The conversation was old, yet Sehůn liked picking and scraping at it, like an itching wound he didn’t want to heal.

There was no answer that time and Suhø loosened his grip a bit, leaning closer so he could breathe hot air on Sehůn's neck before he ran his nose and tongue down the column where Sehůn's black jacket revealed bare skin.

When he sank his teeth into an expanse of pale skin, Sehůn moaned and went slack against him. His eyes rolled back and his cock pulsed in his pants while his mind ran wild with anticipation of what Suhø would do next.

Sehůn _had_ been more mouthy than usual, but Suhø also hadn’t been as responsive and he normally was. Whenever he really felt up to it, he would go one for one with Sehůn's questions and jabs. Today, however, felt different.

Like something had shifted.

He wouldn’t pry into the situation, but when Suhø pointed to the bedroom, he silently agreed and shed his clothes on the walk there.

“You don’t know when to quit, do you?” Kāi whistled, taking in all the scratches and hickies left on Sehůn's body from the previous night.

Even with the off feeling he’d gotten a sense of last night, Suhø still managed to deliver what he needed and by the end of the night, he’d been on his back with tears in his eyes, begging to come and be untied.

There were even still marks from the rope on his wrists.

“A big talk for someone who’s a glorified power bottom.” His statement was a direct hit and Kāi made an ‘oof’ sound, clutching his exposed midriff in faux pain.

“Hey, leave him alone.” There was no real heat to the words and when Sehůn looked up, he saw Chanyeøl walking towards them.

Like magnets, the moment Chanyeøl was close enough, Kāi gravitated towards him and allowed the taller man to pet him and wrap his large hands around the back of his neck.

“Any further and you might as well just fuck in front of me,” Sehůn huffed. The grimace on his face deepened when Chanyeøl leaned down to peck Kāi on the lips in response.

“Hmm, still tastes like me.”

Sehůn made a gagging sound and walked away from them, absentmindedly making his way to Lake Cocytus.

The tortured stared at him in frozen agony as their limbs remained suspended in the icy depths of the lake, but Sehůn had long since learned to look past them. After all, as the saying goes, _this_ was the special place in hell for those who betrayed special relationships.

Their punishment was well due and he couldn’t scrounge even a bit of sympathy for them.

“What brings you here? Come to have a little rendezvous with your boyfriend?” Xiūmin asked, tilting his head in question. Despite the dimmed lighting in the area, his cobalt hair shined with an off-putting gleam and Sehůn questioned how one could be so dangerously handsome.

“Big of you to talk like you, Chën and Baëkhyun don’t have _rendezvous_ whenever you all can manage. I’ve seen Baëkhyun’s ass more times than I can happily count.” Upon hearing the familiar voice, Sehůn turned and was met face to face with Suhø. “Don’t you have lustful tortured to oversee?”

The words held the usual sharpness, but there were crinkles in the creases of his eyes and the words lacked their usual fire.

He’d never admitted out loud, but Sehůn knew Suhø loved his impromptu visits.

“Jongdae’s got it covered.” Xiūmin let out a gauff of laughter from behind them, but neither Sehůn or Suhø paid any mind.

Instead, a more serious expression crossed Suhø’s face.

“We heard the higher ups talking and apparently one of us is being reincarnated,” Suhø’s words came out slow and deliberate, like he was afraid of twisting them, “Xiūmin and Baëkhyun are betting on either you or Kāi.”

In an instant, there were a million questions swirling around in Sehůn's head.

The most prominent of them, was what came out his mouth, somewhat reminiscent of a petulant human child.

“Why?”

Any signs of humor were long gone and instead Suhø’s eyes were hardened in anger.

“You know the reason why you and Kāi are the strongest among us right?” Sehůn tried to think about it, but realized he didn’t know. Suhø shook his head and stopped walking, giving Sehůn a look that was so heartbreaking, he wanted to look away. “Those who have committed greater sins get reincarnated. It is the last _gift_ of the creator for the redemption of the soul.” The word ‘gift’ was spat and a grimace formed Suhø’s handsome face.

Redemption.

It sounded more like a curse or punishment rather than a gift.

He was happy here. With Suhø.

More happy than he could ever remember being when he was human.

“If it is you, then someone will come to find you today and let you know the details. I don’t know how quickly things will happen, but from past experiences, I wouldn’t be surprised if they expect all of this to happen immediately.”

In a rare expression of open affection, Suhø wrapped his arms around Sehůn and held him, the troubled expression remaining on his face, “what if you forget? What if you become lost?”

It hadn’t hit him yet, but the possibility that he would be reincarnated and might manage to live a pious life and end up in Limbo hadn’t crossed his mind. He would be left to repent the sins of his previous life, then obtain a key to The Gates.

He would forget everything and move on, leaving everything—Suhø—behind in hell.

The thought made his chest hurt and Sehůn felt the rare urge to sit down.

Instead of sitting, Sehůn just leaned more into Suhø’s embrace, putting most of his weight on the man as he continued to hold him.

“I won’t if I can help it.”

Suhø’s words always came to pass and just as predicted, Sehůn was chosen to be reincarnated and someone came to briefly inform him of the decision. Things happened in the course of a few hours and Sehůn felt like he could barely breathe and blink before he was standing with Suhø, holding both of his hands as they said their last goodbyes.

“I love you,” Suhø sighed, his face still hardened in anger. His eyes, however, spoke loudly of the immense amount of sadness hiding in their icy blue depths.

His gaze seared into Sehůn's soul, like he was attempting to brand himself on it.

Uncharacteristically, Sehůn's eyes watered but he didn’t look away. The tears just rolled down in thin tracks down his face.

“Me, too.”

❌❌❌

In the human realm, time moved so much slower.

Human children were so strange and being in the body of one was an even stranger experience. Everything was soft, yet the light was too bright for him to make out most things and every sound was too loud and startled his weak human heart. Despite all of this, he tried to not call out for man and woman caring for him.

He could also remember everything, so the fact that he couldn’t speak or move as freely as he would’ve liked grated at his nerves.

Reincarnation was indeed a punishment.

When his eyes finally adjusted after about two human months, he could make out the features of his parents, as well as himself.

His room was decorated in soft blues and yellows, complimenting the two small dogs—bichon frise, if he was recalling the names correctly—who sometimes accompanied the women or man—called Eunhee and Sehyuk, respectfully–when they came to fetch, clean or feed him.

The creatures always sniffed at him in curiosity and by the time Sehun could move around himself, they seemed to grow fond of him.

Sehun hadn’t intended on becoming attached to anything in this life, but he couldn’t help being fond of the two dogs as they grew alongside him. Every step he made, the brown and white creatures followed and watched him like canine guardians.

When he managed to almost topple a stack of books, the white one referred to as Vivi, barked so loud, Sehun covered his ears with his small hands. Within a seconds, Eunhee rushed into the room and picked him up from the floor, cooing calming words and rubbing at his head.

She put him down several minutes later and hurried to carry the books away, muttering something about reprimanding her husband later for leaving them out. He watched her walk out, then looked at the two fluffy creatures watching him.

At some point, Sehun was able to speak and his parents were blown away by how advanced his vocabulary was.

Perhaps he should’ve gone through the motions of usual human children and babbled along, but he grew tired of being unable to express his thoughts and simply spoke what he considered acceptable sentences to his parents.

He was barely two human years old when he started to speak full, grammatically correct sentences. It sent both Eunhee and Sehyuk into frenzies, making them constantly read him books, ask him questions and take him places to test his IQ.

Again, there was an inner debate if he should dumb down his abilities or just take the tests given to him normally.

Sehun settled into a comfortable medium where he chose some things correctly and others incorrectly, on purpose. It had the desired effect and the scores came out higher than normal, but not enough to give his parents reason to fill what little free time he had with schooling and activities.

At the very least, since he’d been given a second childhood, he actually wanted to savor it.

Sehun continued to live normally, progressing and growing, year to year.

Going through the motions.

Until his fifth year of life,when he met Junmyeon and everything changed.

Older than him by two years, he was what could be considered Sehun’s upperclassman.

Nearly everything about Kim Junmyeon was the polar opposite from Suhø, yet there was something there that kept pulling Sehun toward him.

Just like things had been with Suhø.

Perhaps it was the way that Junmyeon thought that made him stand out from the rest of his classmates. That was what originally caught Sehun’s attention.

When they first met, Sehun had been teased by some of the older boys from a different class about how neat and quickly he could write. Instead of engaging them, he simply continued to write.

That only pissed them off further and they knocked down his pencils and dumped the contents of his backpack onto the floor.

Just as Sehun thought he’d had enough and stood up from his seat, Junmyeon came from the hallway and put his small hand on Sehun’s shoulders with a smile.

“Ah, the teacher is calling you, Jihoon.” The one who’d goaded the others into messing with Sehun froze and he stared at Junmyeon with wide eyes before stopping everything. There was a look of fear in his eyes and his entire mood shifted.

“What is it?” Junmyeon shrugged.

“I don’t know, but it looked serious.”

Sehun hadn’t been granted the power to read minds, but it was clear that Jihoon had a lot to worry about if the teacher was searching for him. It was also obvious that Junmyeon had anticipated such a reaction.

When the ring leader left the room, his face scrunched up in worry and looking like he was going to burst into tears, the rest of the group dissolved. Some spilled out into the hallway, others turned their attention to playing with the various toys scattered in the room, like they’d never been messing with Sehun in the first place.

“Thank you,” Sehun mumbled, sitting down and looking up at Junmyeon. Instead of responding, Junmyeon just wandered out of the class and went elsewhere.

From that moment on, Sehun found himself thinking a lot about Kim Junmyeon.

❌❌❌

The day Junmyeon’s family moved next door to Sehun, was the day he figured out why he was so attracted to Junmyeon.

It’d already been almost four human years since Sehun met Junmyeon and they’d become companions. As they were both only children, they bonded over that and played together, often in silence.

“I like that you listen to me,” Junmyeon brought up as he and Sehun unpacked boxes in his bedroom.

“Why wouldn’t I listen to you, hyung?”

Junmyeon rested his upper body on a stack of boxes and grinned at Sehun, shrugging.

“I’m not sure, but there’s something that just makes me want to tell you what to do. Like a little voice,” Sehun’s eyes widened as Junmyeon spoke and for a second, his heart stopped beating.

The older boy didn’t say anything else on the matter and went back to unpacking and Sehun was left to think more about the possibility and probability of his thoughts.

When Junmyeon made eye contact with Sehun as he finished unpacking the boxes in his section of the room, Sehun looked away, feeling his skin warm up.

The stare had been reminiscent of the one Suhø had given him prior to his reincarnation.

It was so similar that it shook Sehun to his core and his breath left him, making him feel weak. Before Junmyeon could notice his eyes watering, he asked where the bathroom was and left the bedroom.

Sehun quickly wandered down the box filled hallway, holding onto whatever he could until he got the bathroom and shut the door behind him. When he’d locked it, he stood in front of the mirror as tears streamed down his small face, clouding his vision.

How was that possible?

Could one be reincarnated, while their consciousness remained in hell, because now more than ever was Sehun sure that Junmyeon was Suhø. That gaze hadn’t been something a mere human child could manage.

Maybe, it could also be Suhø attempting to contact him?

That was a strange thought as well, because why would he manipulate the body of a child to do so when he was capable of much more?

Whatever the case was, Sehun couldn’t stop the aching in his chest and he tried to force himself to stop crying. The last thing he wanted to do was upset Junmyeon or his parents, because whatever had happened was all on him.

He splashed cold water onto his face and wiped his eyes, taking several deep breaths before he assumed he looked normal again. Just for appearance sake, he flushed the toilet and washed his hands, unlocked the door, and walked back to Junmyeon’s bedroom.

When Junmyeon saw him, he gave him a quick glance, then handed him another box he’d apparently found in the living room.

“They haven’t found my bed yet and since it’s getting late, my parents asked if I could spend the night at your house? Since we go to the same school and stuff. We can play that game we were talking about earlier too.”

Sehun gave a nod of affirmation and Junmyeon grinned, walking over to Sehun and enveloping him into a hug. The sudden display of affection caught Sehun off guard and he let out a gasp of surprise.

Despite this, Junmyeon continued to hug him until Sehun wrapped his arms loosely around his waist leaning into it.

“The voice said you needed this, I hope it’s okay.” Sehun felt a lump in his throat, but pushed back against the tears that burned at his eyes.

“Good to see you boys getting along so well. Thank you again for helping with unpacking, Sehun.” The boys broke apart and Junmyeon’s mother chuckled before asking if Junmyeon had mentioned spending the night. When Sehun confirmed that he had, she said she would call Sehun’s mother to confirm the details and to also order pizza for them to eat.

That night, Sehun went through the motions of eating, socializing with Junmyeon’s parents and his tiny dog, Byul, before they went back to Sehun’s house and prepared to go to bed.

Junmyeon, exhausted from the move, fell asleep the moment his head hit the pillow on the cot next to Sehun’s bed, but Sehun didn’t sleep much.

Instead, he spent most of the night staring at the ceiling and thinking.

He was probably only a small fraction through this life, yet there were already difficult things being thrown at him left and right.

At only eight years old, he was still a child and yet the ache in his chest made him feel centuries old. All he could think about was Suhø.

His entire body wanted to summon the man, but he didn’t have the materials, nor the means to do it properly.

It would have to wait until he was older and had a means of money, as well as the time to prepare things.

❌❌❌

When Sehun turned fourteen and Junmyeon was sixteen, Sehun realized the possibility that he might be in love with him, Junmyeon himself and the hollow shadow of Suhø that seemed to follow him.

The heavy feeling in his chest never went away after that night six years ago, but being around Junmyeon made it lessen. He was definitely fond of Junmyeon in a way that was deeper than any of the other humans he called his ‘friends.

Love was something he never had to contemplate in hell, but now that he had nothing but time to sit and think, Sehun realized love was a rather complex thing.

He’d come to _love_ his parents over the past few years, but the feelings he felt for Junmyeon were deeper than familial.

Whenever he saw Junmyeon come out of his house for them to walk to school together, his heart started racing and the back of his neck grew hot, no matter the weather.

If Junmyeon noticed the shift in Sehun’s feelings toward him, he never said a word.

He also never spoke a word about the voice in his head following the first week he moved next door. That led Sehun to believe that rather than being a strange version of a reincarnation of Suhø, Junmyeon had simply been a vessel for a message.

Or at least, that’s what Sehun told himself to make him stop thinking about it.

The searing feeling of Junmyeon’s soft brown eyes boring into him like he could see his soul remained in the recesses of his mind though.

It had been so long since Sehun was last human and felt emotions so intensely, so when puberty hit him, it hit hard.

A few months previously, he’d been a bit shorter than Junmyeon, which was normal because Junmyeon was older than him. But, a few months after his 14th birthday, he shot up several centimeters, passing Junmyeon in the blink of an eye.

When Junmyeon noticed this, it put him in a sour mood and he avoided Sehun for almost a week. Which put Sehun in a bad mood and he, admittedly, took it out on his parents.

At first, Eunhee and Sehyuk seemed to take it personally and several nights, Sehun caught his mother’s quiet sniffles late at night as she lamented on what could be done with Sehun.

It was his father who noticed the rift between Sehun and Junmyeon and unbeknownst to him, Sehyuk spoke to Junmyeon’s father and they came up with a plan.

Really, Sehun should’ve smelled the set-up from miles away, but he was so deep in his own thoughts that he didn’t even realize.

First, Sehyuk mentioned that a new Deadpool movie was coming out and he was going to buy tickets to the rated R movie for Sehun and one of his friends. The initial person that came to mind was someone, who looked suspiciously like Chanyeøl and shared an eerily similar name.

They’d met at Sehun’s math academy and immediately bonded over being the tallest people in the room. They were nowhere near as close as Sehun was to Junmyeon, but Sehun liked hanging out with Chanyeol.

So, when Chanyeol told him that he couldn’t come because he was going out of town for the weekend, Sehun’s mind went to his second and third options.

He could call Jongin, an old friend from kindergarten and elementary he sometimes hung out with or he could attempt to patch things up with Junmyeon.

Just as he was about to pick the first choice, his phone lit up with a message from Junmyeon.

“Speak of a demon and they shall manifest.” Sehun thought he’d muttered the words under his breath, but when his mother looked up from her magazine with big eyes, he realized he’d said it aloud. In latin.

Sehun had never slipped up so badly in front of his parents, so he muttered something about hearing the phrase on TV and got up from the kitchen table.

Even without looking at her, Sehun could tell she barely accepted his flimsy excuse and he shut himself up in his room. Something he’d gotten entirely too familiar with.

**Myeon Hyung: my dad mentioned that i’ve been acting like a total ass and i want to say sorry. I would’ve said something in person, but i wasn’t sure if u wanted to see me…**

Sehun’s fingers twitched over the screen and his heart immediately leapt at the implications of everything unsaid.

**Precious Hyunnie: um not problem, i was actually going to say something myself.**

**We’ve been friends too long for us to fight about stupid stuff.**

**If it makes you feel better, my mom had to buy me a new bed and an entire new wardrobe.**

**Wasn’t fun. She kept talkin about how i was a ‘growing young man’**

It only took a few seconds before Junmyeon responded with his usual slew of emojis, as well as a reaction picture of a dog rolling in grass, seemingly laughing.

**Myeon Hyung: well if we’re good, my dad said something about going see the new Deadpool movie.**

**He even offered to pay for the tickets bc it’s rated R. You down?**

Once again, the entire situation was revealing itself as a setup, but instead of complaining or purposefully avoiding it, Sehun walked into it head first.

After all, he missed Junmyeon. A lot.

❌❌❌

Sehun was nineteen when he finally admitted his feelings to Junmyeon.

The man had come home from an Ivy league overseas just for Sehun’s graduation and Sehun figured there was no better time than then.

Instead of eating dinner with his parents, like they probably wanted, he chose to go out drinking with a group of guys from his class and a few upperclassmen (Junmyeon included).

“I see you’re still stuck to Junmyeon hyung’s side like always,” Jongin mentioned as he took an exaggerated gulp of beer.

“Leave him alone, you’ve been stuck to Chanyeol just as long as he’s been with Junmyeon,” Baekhyun added. He punctuated his sentence with a poke to Jongin’s ribs and a knowing smile.

That caught Sehun’s attention, “Chanyeol? Like Park Chanyeol?”

The dark expression that immediately crossed Jongin’s face would’ve made a normal human balk, but Sehun definitely wasn't intimidated by Jongin. The man looked like a glorified puppy, even when angry, so Sehun had to frequently stop himself from laughing in the man’s face whenever Jongin got upset.

Again, Sehun didn’t have the gift of reading minds, but he was perceptive.

Jongin had feelings for Chanyeol and was clearly prepared to fight Sehun if necessary.

“Yeah? Do you know him?” Baekhyun leaned forward with an interesting look on his face.

“I’ve known him since middle school. We met in a math academy,” Sehun explained, pausing to take a sip of his own beer.

Jongin sat back in his chair and his shoulders slumped, the tension immediately dissipating from them. A small ‘ah’ left his mouth and he took another sip of his drink, avoiding Sehun’s eyes in the meantime while Baekhyun watched it all with an entertained smirk.

Several glasses—at least 10, Sehun had lost count—of somaek later and Junmyeon was helping him stumble into a taxi.

Sehun’s mind felt like it was a vintage lava lamp and he was trying to remember how to use his feet correctly as his eyes threatened to close on him. When he sat down in the car and his whole perspective shifted, he leaned his head on Junmyeon’s shoulder and looked up at his face.

“Did you know that I’m yours?” Junmyeon looked down at him with an unreadable expression, so Sehun took it as the go ahead to continue, “I’ve always been yours. In my previous life and probably in all the other lives I could possibly live after this. Always yours.”

There was no shock or disgust and for that drunk Sehun was relieved.

So much so, that he situated himself to lay his head in Junmyeon’s lap and halted the battle he’d been waging with his eyelids.

Before he drifted off to sleep, Sehun could’ve sworn he heard Junmyeon respond with a soft “I know. I’ve always known,” as he stroked his hair.

Like a dream, the next morning, he woke up tucked into his own bed and in his underwear.

The mess in his room told the drunken story of Junmyeon hauling him inside, possibly helping him take off his slacks and button up, making sure he didn’t vomit in his sleep, then probably heading to his parents home.

“You must’ve had a wild night?” Sehun’s father mentioned with a nostalgic smile on his face, “to be young again.”

His mother nodded and sat a bowl of haejangguk in front him, patted his head, “you should learn your limits, Hunnie.”

In the lieu of a response, Sehun just ducked his pounding head down and devoured the soup in front of him in silence.

Having Junmyeon as an upperclassman proved to be quite useful for Sehun, because he really hated making smalltalk in order to make acquaintances.

They never spoke about the night of Sehun’s graduation and life went on, but the curiosity stayed rooted in the back of Sehun’s mind, always present whenever he found himself staring at Junmyeon.

Had he really said he knew about the feelings that spanned over the course of—now—two lifetimes?

Nothing in Junmyeon’s demeanor or his treatment towards Sehun changed in the slightest. It was equally comforting and agonizing.

But Sehun dealt with it.

Those who’d sent him to be reincarnated had never explicitly said he _shouldn’t_ influence situations with his prior knowledge, but Sehun always assumed he shouldn’t for the sake of neutrality.

The feeling in his chest continued to urge him to think otherwise.

When Sehun saw Junmyeon curled up in a study cubby in the library, his heart squeezed in his chest and without even giving more though, walked in the man’s direction.

He might’ve been a few dozen steps away from Junmyeon when the other man looked up from his notes with a tired smile, “Sehun?”

Hearing the human reiteration of his name made his chest feel even tighter and he hurried until he was hovering over Junmyeon.

“Hyung,” Sehun stalled, struggling to think of something else to say, but he came up blank. So, he just grabbed the straps of his backpack tighter and stood still, waiting for Junmyeon to fill the silence.

Which he did moments later, shutting his book with a yawn and dramatic stretch, “let’s go to the cafeteria. I could use something to eat and you’re always hungry right?” Sehun wasn’t particularly hungry, but he nodded and helped Junmyeon pack his messenger bag, then followed closely at his side.

“I heard they were having seaweed soup today, so I was kind of excited. I know you’re kind of indifferent to it,” Junmyeon chattered, occasionally bumping into Sehun’s arm as they walked through and out of the library.

“Sounds good. Haven’t had it since my birthday.” Sehun’s answer was muttered because he was entirely too focused on how Junmyeon’s hand grazed his own.

Junmyeon, however, seemed to be unphased and responded to Sehun’s words with a hum, then he continued to go on about the soup.

Just before they walked up to the dining hall, Sehun stopped walking and Junmyeon paused as well, looking at him in question, “something wrong, Hunnie?”

“I love you.”

It was spontaneous, impulsive and the least most romantic way he could’ve done it, but he couldn’t hold it in any longer. He just hoped Junmyeon wouldn’t take the impromptu confession the wrong way.

Contrary to that, Junmyeon just blinked once, then twice. Then he folded his arms in front of his chest and tilted his head to the side, “yes. I know. What do you intend to do about it?”

Sehun probably looked like an idiot, rooted in place with his mouth flapping open and closed like a fish out of water.

Something in Junmyeon’s eyes changed and he leaned closer to Sehun, speaking into his ear, “you know. I’ve known since we were teenagers. I was just waiting for you to say something,” he paused for a moment then continued, “well, say something— _sober_.”

The last part stung a bit because Sehun felt something like a coward.

The older man pulled away and he turned toward the dining hall door, “now unless you’re going to ask me out on a date or suggest that we should be boyfriends, let’s get in before they run out.”

Cursing his weak human sentiments, Sehun shut his mouth and stood up straighter.

“Yes, I want to take you on a date,” Sehun spoke slowly, gripping the straps of his backpack again, “or if you want, we can just skip that and just be boyfriends.”

Junmyeon turned around again with a smile—or was that a smirk—on his face.

“Okay, I know the perfect place.” With that, Junmyeon reached out and grabbed Sehun’s hand, using strength Sehun didn’t know he had and pulled him into the dining hall.

With a full stomach and mind, Sehun went back to his dorm after Junmyeon shooed him off so he could study more.

Before he walked back to the library, he stood on the tips of his toes and kissed Sehun’s cheek, “I’ll text you after my test tomorrow afternoon.”

The way Sehun’s heart dropped from his chest into the pits of his stomach was amazing and he couldn’t process what’d happened until he saw the electric doors slide closed behind Junmyeon.

That was why he was currently on his knees, leafing through the occult book he’d bought off the internet, skipping the ridiculous notions written among the various sections of the book. When he reached the section about demons, he read more carefully and sifted through the information to figure out what was useful to him.

Now that he lived alone, he could possibly get in contact with Suhø and inquire about Junmyeon.

He had so many questions, but the main one he was looking for, was the possibility to split one’s consciousness or something akin to a soul, into two beings. Like what he thought Junmyeon might be.

Ordinarily, Junmyeon was kind, mild mannered and sentimental to a fault. That, however, always seemed to be moments and instances where Junmyeon’s words, demeanor and even his aura changed in the blink of an eye.

It wasn’t as if Junmyeon had different personalities, but that whenever he was around Sehun and Sehun alone, he was _different._

Junmyeon’s reaction to his confession was reminiscent of Suhø so much so that Sehun’s human heart ached with the memory of Suhø that his current body knew nothing of.

Only his mind and that seemed to be enough to make him feel lightheaded, but he kept reading.

Before he went on a date with Junmyeon, he needed to know if the man was either a reincarnation of Suhø, possessed by him or if it all was in Sehun’s imagination and he was projecting his innermost thoughts.

Eventually, he found the summoning section and read each and every word, following the instructions that seemed to be decent.

He may have been a demon in the past, but he knew next to nothing about summoning or communication with those beyond Earth. Afterall, Suhø was the one with all the knowledge of that, he’d simply just controlled the storms punishing the lustful.

When he’d lit the last candle, he kneeled on the edge and read the incantation aloud, the silky words of the forbidden language falling off his tongue like honey.

It’d been so long since he’d spoken and he felt like it awakened something dormant inside of him. He couldn’t stop now though, not when he was nearly finished with the incantation.

As the last word came from his mouth, an eerie stillness and silence filled his room and Sehun stayed frozen in his kneeled position, holding his breath.

When one minute became two, then three, he let out his breath and relaxed in the position, wondering if maybe the book was full of bullshit. After all, most humans were filled with misconceptions of demons—and angels for that matter—and the book could’ve provided the wrong information.

Just as Sehun was about to give up and stand to his feet, a breeze swept through his room and all the candles were blown out, plunging the entire room into darkness.

Out of human instinct, he closed his eyes and when he opened them again, there was one candle at the tip of the symbol he’d drawn on the floor, lit.

“What a childish way to summon me. You could’ve simply called for me and I would’ve come.” The voice that spoke wasn’t the one he sought out, but it was one who would be able to answer his questions.

Standing in front of him wasn’t Suhø, but rather, Chën.

Every nerve in his body told him to flee, but Sehun knew better and he stood to his feet, moving forward to reach out for Chën. The de—man allowed him to and even enveloped him in a hug.

“Has it been decades or simply a few months since I’ve seen you last?” Chën patted Sehun’s back and chuckled.

“You’re aware of the time differences between us. It seems you are doing well with your reincarnation. You even look mostly like yourself, how lucky.”

Neither of them were ones for formalities or small talk, so when Sehun stepped away, he pointed to the chair in front of his desk and Chën sat down, eyeing the offering in the middle of the symbol.

“Did Baëkhyun tell you about this?” Chën asked after he’d picked up the soft, plush stuffed cat. Even as he spoke, his expression was soft and Sehun could tell he liked it.

There was an odd comfort to seeing someone who knew him as he was.

“Suhø told me about it actually. On one of those days when you, Baëkhyun and Xiūmin disappeared from your shift.” The upturned corners of Chën’s mouth raised, emphasizing the shape of his mouth and he shook his head softly.

“So will you tell me why you summoned me?” Even in the dim light, Sehun could still feel the immense weight of Chën’s gaze, particularly from his odd eye.

“How is he?” His voice came out hardly louder than a whisper.

“We haven’t seen much of him since you left. His duties are always fulfilled, but otherwise, he doesn’t socialize much anymore,” Sehun’s heart sunk and he swallowed the lump that formed in his throat as he gave a shaky nod, “you know something I do not. Tell me, Sehůn.” Chën’s free hand reached up to toy with the chain connecting the piercing in his lip to one of the ones in his ear.

“Is it possible to split oneself between Hell and Earth?” At first, the question made Chën let out a bark of laughter, but when Sehun failed to join him, Chën shifted in his seat with a frown.

“Surely, you don’t think that that’s what that bastard’s got up to, do you?” Sehun remained silent and he just held Chën’s gaze, even when he started to feel dizzy.

“I think so. There is a h-human here. I found him when I was a child and he is so eerily similar to Suhø, I have been questioning it for years. Only now have I gotten the means to summon one of you to ask.”

“He’s been a shell of himself,” Chën said quietly, more to himself than to Sehun, “if he succeeded in doing something like this and managed to live, he’s even more powerful than we thought. Where is this human?”

When Chën stood up from his seat, it was then that Sehun realized maybe the situation was more serious than he originally thought.

Out of Sehun’s insistence, Chën changed his attire to something more suited for a college campus—ripped jeans, a graphic t-shirt and sneakers—and he took him to the library.

Seated in the same place where Sehun had found him earlier, Junmyeon was huddled in the study cubicle with a book in front of his face. Unlike earlier, Sehun stood out of sight and watched as Chën approached Junmyeon.

“Sorry to interrupt you, but I was wondering if you could help me find my way to the testing lab? You’re one of the nicer looking people in here and I’m hopelessly lost.” Junmyeon regarded Chën with a curious expression, eyeing his lip ring and multiple piercings dotting his ears.

Even dressed somewhat typically, Chën still stood out and it was obvious that Junmyeon thought so as well.

“Hm sure,” Junmyeon stood up from his seat and turned, pointing in the direction of the lab. He looked reluctant to do more, so Chën pushed a bit harder.

“I’m really new to campus, would you mind showing me? I’ll buy you coffee?” At the mention of a free coffee, Junmyeon perked up and he agreed. Chën waited patiently while Junmyeon packed up and when he slung his backpack on his shoulder, Chën shot him another smile and Junmyeon led the way.

Later that same night, Chën appeared in Sehun’s dorm room with an uncertain expression on his face. Sehun had been in the middle of scrolling down his social media feeds and sat up straight when he caught sight of Chën.

“So?”

“It’s Suhø. It’s definitely him. I don’t know how the hell he did it, but he did. It seems, though, that the human has a split consciousness. I haven’t seen it in person prior to this, but I’ve heard stories about stuff like this…” Chën sat on the edge of Sehun’s bed and ran his hands through his hair. “He talked to me Sehun, as Suhø, I mean.”

The words sent Sehun’s human heart racing and he unconsciously leaned forward.

“The human isn’t aware of it, but there are times where I can see and hear Suhø so clearly, it’s unsettling. Particularly coming from such an unassuming human. Tell me Sehůn,” Chën stopped and leaned back, humming like he was searching for the right phrasing, “has he ever revealed himself to you? Like a time where you were certain you weren’t talking to Junmyeon, but rather Suhø?”

It was like his tongue couldn’t even begin to shape the words and he could only nod, seeing all the instances flash in his head like a montage.

“Then I’m sure that he’s split himself between realms. Even with the chance of endangering his position or draining his essence, he’s managed to do it. For you.”

An emotion so strong washed over Sehun and he stood up, grabbing the jacket hanging over the back of his desk chair and his phone from the bed, he muttered about going to see Junmyeon.

For a few seconds, Sehun thought Chën would follow him, but he quickly realized this was something he needed to deal with alone.

Junmyeon was in his apartment, already dressed in his pajamas when he opened the door to Sehun’s heavy and frantic knocks.

“What’s so urgent that you,” Junmyeon quirked his eyebrows and crossed his arms in front of his chest, “ran here?”

Sehun knew he probably looked a mess but he didn’t care. The fact that Suhø was and had always been so close to him, made him feel like there was a storm raging inside of his body.

Instead of answering immediately, Sehun squeezed past Junmyeon and paced the living room.

He had wanted to use the incantation as a last resort, but now seemed like suitable time. So, he pulled the notebook paper out of his pocket and started reading.

Junmyeon closed the door and blinked at him in confusion, then his face went pale and his expression went blank.

The few seconds that it was silent felt like an eternity, but then Junmyeon’s expression changed and he strode over to Sehun, sneering up at him.

“Why did you say those words? I’ve been living fine like this for years. Why couldn’t you be satisfied?” The words cut him like blades, but Sehun took a deep breath and grabbed Junmyeon’s shoulders.

The incantation was one that forced Suhø’s consciousness to come forward, all while Junmyeon remained completely aware and awake.

On his way there, Sehun decided that he would personally deal with whatever fallout happened after he said the words.

“Why are you doing this? Don’t you realize you could disappear? Why are you draining yourself just to be with me?”

Junmyeon’s eyes narrowed and his face scrunched in fury, “what the fuck do you mean ‘why are you doing this’? I love you, you imbecile!” He raised his arms above his head and stamped his feet.

If this had been one of those cartoons he’d enjoyed as a child, literal smoke would have poured from Junmyeon’s ears.

Had they been in Hell, Sehun would’ve been terrified but since they were in the human realm and Junmyeon looked as he did, Sehun was able to keep his emotions in check.

“This lifetime is a little less than halfway over, I already told you I would return to you. I don’t care for redemption or for going to Heaven.” Junmyeon’s eyes remained narrowed in anger but he lowered his arms.

Slowly but surely, Junmyeon’s face regained its natural coloring and his posture started to settle back into something less Suhø-esque. The tone of his voice, however, kept its edge.

“I am aware of that, but you have not done anything wicked this lifetime. In fact, you’ve walked the straight and narrow since your re-birth. This is not the way to come back.”

Right.

Sehun had ended up in Hell in the first place because of the wicked things he’d done in his previous human life. He couldn’t remember, but it had been horrible enough to earn him an eternity of supposed suffering, yet also the chance at reincarnation.

“At the end of all of this, I will be given a choice and I wouldn’t choose anything other than to be with you. You know that.” On instinct, Sehun reached out and cradled the side of Junmyeon’s face, thinking back to his time with Suhø and all the bouts of intimacy they’d shared.

Junmyeon froze and he continued to stare at Sehun until he eventually relaxed into the touch. His stiff facial expression finally melted and he sunk into Sehun with a sigh. For a few moments, it was just like old times.

“You’ve known he was inside of me this whole time.” The small, gentle voice that spoke made Sehun’s heart stop beating for a moment and he slowly backed up, holding Junmyeon away from him.

Junmyeon was back.

Sehun took in the bewildered expression on Junmyeon’s face and gave a slow nod, “since we were children.”

“Are you...like him?” The question was loaded and Sehun wasn’t sure how to answer.

Eventually he settled on a quiet “somewhat.”

Junmyeon mulled over it and took a few steps back from Sehun of his own, though not in terror or disgust. He just seemed to want some personal space. Regardless, it made Sehun’s stomach toss and turn.

“Is that why I’ve always felt drawn to you? Are we soulmates?”

“Something like that.” Junmyeon gave a slow nod and took a deep breath before he crossed his arms over his chest again.

“Well, I can’t say it sounds far-fetched, considering there’s a gh—thing inside of my head. Inside of me,” Sehun stood completely still and watched Junmyeon rock on his heels in silence.

After a few moments, Sehun let out a shaky sigh.

“I’m going to go back to my dorm. If you want to talk more about this, maybe we can make sense of everything together. There are bits and pieces that are still unclear to me as well.”

“Yeah, that’s a good idea,” Junmyeon answered as he walked behind Sehun toward the door.

When Sehun stood at the threshold, he managed an exhausted sounding “good night, Sehun.”

“You used the incantation from this book didn’t you?” Chën asked the moment Sehun let himself into his room. He was holding the thick black book in his hand and looking every bit like a child in a candy store.

He was tired and emotionally drained, definitely not in the mood to deal with the other demon, so he let out a grunted response.

Chën grinned and he stood up from the bed, sitting the book on the desk.

“Well, did it work?”

“It forced Suhø to come out when Junmyeon was still conscious. He was somewhat shaken, but alright.”

The demon made a soft tsk-ing sound, then laughed.

“Well, you’ve certainly gotten your work cut out for you Hunnie.”

“Tell me about it.” With that, Chën disappeared and Sehun was left alone.

There was no word from Junmyeon until the following day and as he promised before everything happened, he invited Sehun out for coffee at their favorite place.

“I think I aced my test.” It wasn’t what Sehun expected Junmyeon would say, but it was completely in character and made relief flood Sehun’s body.

He’d spent the last day just going over the events of the previous night, staring at the ceiling. If he’d gotten three hours of sleep, that was plenty.

His mind just wouldn’t rest now that he was vindicated in feeling like Junmyeon was like Suhø.

“That’s great, Jun. I’m glad.”

And he was glad. Glad that Junmyeon had done well and glad that the man was still talking to him as if nothing was wrong.

“You know,” Junmyeon started, leaning across the table, “after you left, I had a conversation with him, Suhø. He told me a lot. About you. About himself. About me.” He spoke slowly and Sehun sat ramrod straight, listening with his lips pressed together.

“And?” The thudding in his chest was making it hard to hear but he tried focus anyway.

“At first, I questioned anything I’d ever felt for you.” That was definitely a blow, but Sehun swallowed down the hurt and nodded, silently urging Junmyeon to continue. “But Suhø assured me that all of my feelings are...organic or all me. While he couldn’t confirm or deny the existence of soulmates, he definitely agreed that if anyone was mine, it would be you.”

Sehun’s lips were bone dry and he darted out his tongue to wet them, “so?”

“My feelings for you and his feelings for you are the same and really, I’ve skated around it long enough. To answer your question from a few days ago, yes, I think we should.”

“Should do what?” Sehun could barely hear his own words over the pounding of his own heart in his ears.

“Skip the casual dating and just be together. Plus, I think we can figure out all of this,” Junmyeon waved his hands over the table with a soft smile, “together.”

Sehun replayed over and over in his head until Junmyeon waved a hand in front of his face.

“Earth to Sehun? Still there?” With a quick shake of his head, Sehun nodded and tried to make his tongue and brain cooperate.

It took three or four attempts before he finally gave up and just settled on a high pitched, “yeah?”

Junmyeon grinned at him and stood up from his seat, leaning even further across the table to kiss him on the lips.

“Yeah.”

There were so many unresolved issues and questions still floating around in Sehun’s mind, but in that moment, all he could think about was how right it felt to have Junmyeon’s lips on his.

Finally.


End file.
